Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Griffin placed his hand on my leg, making the buzz of our connection spring to life. "You don’t have to look at that now. We just went through hell back there—you can lie back and close your eyes. We’ll be home in about fifteen minutes."
Home.
The place we’d left behind had been that to me for eighteen years—but last night, it had felt almost foreign. Maybe because Mom and Dad were missing, and they were what made it home. Or maybe I’d changed so much that I didn’t recognize my prior life any longer.
Who knew?
At the end of the day, home was now wherever Griffin and Killian were. The fact that I was so emotionally invested in two people scared me, but what was done couldn’t be undone. I loved each man deeply, but for very different reasons. Killian was like a family member I hadn’t even known I was missing until I found him. Well, correction… He’d found me floating in the river and on the run for my life.
Griffin… How did I even explain what he was to me? He was the oxygen I craved—needed—and couldn’t live without.
"No, I need to." My gut told me that when we got to the house, I’d crash—my eyes were already beginning to droop. And the longer we kept this drawer of secrets, the more likely something could happen to it. These assholes kept coming at us hard, which meant they’d be striking again.
I placed the drawer in my lap and removed the hidden-door compartment. I reached for the small journal and two loose pieces of paper, leaving the photo album for last.
Selecting the brown and yellow stained sheet of paper, I slowly opened the frayed edges. It appeared to be the oldest document of the bunch, so starting there made the most sense.
The letter was handwritten, and I read each word slowly.
Arian,
Things are improving slowly in Shadow City. There is still corruption, but the angels are settling into the new normal. It only took them close to eight hundred years. The loss of our silver wolf protectors is still felt by everyone.
Orion does a fine job guarding us, and no one has gotten in illegally to our city, but Orion’s pack doesn’t have the extra skills and blessed magic that your pack does. He is raising his son, Killian, to be the next Shadow Ridge alpha, but I hope it doesn’t come to that anytime soon.
Just as my father wished, my goal is to reacclimate your pack into our society—but don’t worry, your existence will remain a secret until we’re in agreement. Even though we are both new alphas, I believe we’re destined to meet and make a difference—for the sake of our children. Shadow City was meant to be a safe haven but, instead, has become a place of entrapment.
Together we will right the wrongs of the past.
Sincerely,
Atticus
Holy shit. "I found a letter between our dads."
"Really?" Griffin looked at the paper in my hands. "What does it say?"
I read it to him, and somehow kept a level voice. "That’s insane. Your dad even referenced their children." Little did he know that their children were fated mates. I wished we could’ve seen both of their reactions when that little fact was brought to their attention.
"What else is there?" he asked.
I pulled out the next piece of paper, and as expected, it was another letter from Atticus. This one looked more recent, and the handwriting, more rushed. I read the words out loud.
Arian,
The votes have been cast and counted. The gates of Shadow City will open in a week’s time. The hope of reuniting with the supernatural races outside of this city has finally come to fruition. Even though people won’t be able to move into the city for a while—and even when they do, they’ll have to be approved by the council before admittance—we are allowed to have visitors.
I’d love for you to be my first. Your pack identity will be kept secret, but I would love for you to see how much our city has changed and that this place can be a safe haven for the silver wolves once again.
Please come in two weeks and inform the gatekeeper that Atticus has invited you. I will ensure you are ushered straight to me. Let us make this the kind of world our children can be proud of.
Sincerely,
Atticus
"Dad tried to keep a level head, but he really dreamed of our pack making a big impact on the wolf community." Griffin smiled sadly, but there was so much pride reflected in his eyes. "He wanted to help the struggling wolf packs and bring harmony to our world. He’d show me maps of the packs that we knew about prior to the border closing and share his plans with me about how he and I, together, were going to visit and help make things right since we’d been closed off for so long."
"I still don’t understand why the gates were closed."
Griffin sighed. "There was some sort of political unrest that made the city go into lockdown, but I don’t know the details. I hope Mom knows. Dad hadn’t gotten around to telling me since it seemed certain we had so much more time."
"Your father sounds like a kind and amazing person." Griffin had never talked to me about his father, and hearing him open up to me warmed my heart.
"Yeah, that was one reason his death shook me so hard." He frowned and inhaled. "We had all these plans, and the thought of doing them alone hurts a lot. Everyone thinks I’m not interested in leading, but it’s not that. I want to carry out his plans, but the thought of doing it alone… It was easier to let Dick Harding handle things while I ran off to school and fucked around."
"I know I’m not your dad, and I would never want to replace him…for many reasons." I tried teasing him because I missed seeing his handsome smile. "But I would love to carry out those plans beside you."
"Since the moment we stopped fighting our bond, I’ve felt like I’m finally ready to be the kind of leader my dad saw in me." He took my hand and squeezed lovingly. "With you by my side, I want to not only follow my dad’s plan, but make our own, too."
"That sounds amazing." And it made our current situation piss me off even more. "We have to find whoever is attacking us and kick their ass so we can actually focus on those goals." Although that certainly sounded a whole lot simpler than it would be.
Irritated, I pulled out the journal and flipped to the first page. Dad’s familiar squiggly handwriting hurt my heart. For some reason, I’d expected this to be Mom’s. But the journal was in his hidden compartment, so, it only made sense that it was his.
I scanned the first few pages, finding nothing earth-shattering. He mentioned that the new alpha of Shadow City had begun sending letters and how he was concerned that, because of his eagerness to connect, others would learn about us.
But the next entry made my breath stop. Dad described the day his brother left the pack.
He’d never mentioned a brother to me. I had an uncle somewhere in this world and had never known about him. The date of the entry was a year before my birth.
Somehow, I’d thought if I learned that I wasn’t the last silver wolf, a part of me would be relieved… I wouldn’t be alone. But this news made me feel even more hollow.
A shell of myself.
Not only was I not the last of my kind, but potentially, I had family who were still alive. Family I’d never met and had no way of finding or contacting. The thought made me feel more isolated than ever before.
The onslaught of emotions hovered over me, and I wasn’t ready to deal with them, so I flipped several more pages and paused when I saw the date of my birth.
At least, this should be a happy entry, but the very first sentence didn’t make sense to me.
The witch who attended my birth to help heal my mother is the same attending my wife to help birth my son and daughter. I’m so thankful for this because birthing an alpha from our pack is hard enough, let alone another child right after. Never has the same witch assisted with two generations of alphas, but because of this unique circumstance, stronger magic is warranted. I only hope that everyone comes out of this healthy and unscathed.
I stopped reading, completely baffled. Was this even my dad’s journal or was it someone else’s? But the handwriting was unmistakable. Needing for things to make sense, I continued.
Surprising us all, my daughter, Sterlyn, was born first. For the first time in our history, the alpha heir will be a female. If that isn’t a sign that change is coming, my son, Cyrus, dying shortly after birth was. The witch tried to revive him with her magic, but she wasn’t successful. If it wasn’t for our precious little girl, we’d be falling apart right now. Even though the death of our son will always linger, our little girl will pull us through. She’s special. We can already feel it.
I had a brother, and my parents never told me. The realization settled over me, making my stomach turn. The feelings I’d been holding off swept over me like a tsunami. Nothing made sense, and I couldn’t help but question if I even knew my parents at all.
"What’s wrong?" Griffin asked with alarm.
I’d been trying to keep my emotions in check—not wanting to distress him—but I couldn’t any longer. Even if I tried pushing them back, it wouldn’t work. The force of my reality crashed over me.
My body grew numb, and I felt like I was suffocating from the turmoil coursing through me. The two odd feelings warred with each other as I seemed to drift out of my own body. I dropped the journal and rocked in my seat, wishing the pain of my injury would take over. That pain I could understand—but not whatever was rooting inside me, taking control.
Sterlyn. Griffin almost screamed. Come back to me.
His words might’ve been in another language because I couldn’t process them. All I could focus on was this deep, dark void.
My body jarred and a breeze hit my skin, but I still couldn’t shake the feelings inside. I was trapped in my own body, and I didn’t know how to break free…or if I even wanted to. If I did, I’d have to filter through these raging emotions that were colliding inside me.
Cold water pummeled my body, forcing me back to the present. I groaned and tried to jerk away, but strong arms had me locked in place. My head rested against a muscular chest, and the scent of myrrh and leather comforted me. I blinked, finding myself in Griffin’s arms under the showerhead in his bathroom instead of in the Navigator.
How did I get here? He must have carried me.
The familiar light-gray tile almost seemed too bright in the room.
"That’s cold." My teeth chattered. "What the hell are you doing?"
"You went into shock," he rasped, and kissed my forehead. "You scared the shit out of us. I didn’t know what else to do."
"Us?" My mind tried to catch up. It had been only the two of us in the vehicle.
"Yeah, Killian and Sierra are here. We were at a loss about how to snap you out of it, so I told them I would try this. Killian wasn’t thrilled about not helping, but no one but me gets to see you in the shower," Griffin growled. "I told them we’d be right out. They’re getting cleaned up too."
The reminder that I had a member of my family out there that I didn’t know hit me hard, making the emotions that had been held at bay by the shock of the water stream back inside. My eyes burned with tears, and my throat had dried, but I wasn’t able to hold them back any longer.
I almost wished I could recede again as I had in the car, but the protective barrier wouldn’t lock back in place. Instead, the feelings coursed through me, and a large sob broke free.
"Baby, what’s wrong?" Griffin asked, as he gently put my feet on the cold tile floor. "I don’t understand…what happened?"
Not able to verbally speak, I used our mate link to fill him in on the information I’d learned. When I was all done, my soul felt fractured. All this time, Dad didn’t tell me anything. It had to be because he didn’t think I was strong enough to handle it, and he obviously was right. I feel broken.
I may not have known him, but I know that’s not true. Griffin leaned back and cupped my face in his hands. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met. He may have been waiting to tell you everything, thinking you all had more time. No one would expect your pack to be decimated.
The cold water turned warmer as it ran down my body. His touch comforted me, and I remembered that Dad had told me there were things he needed to share with me in due time. Maybe, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not at the end of my rope.
Then lean on me. He stepped closer to me. I’m here to be your rock and your strength. Let me take care of you in a way that you’ve been able to do for both Killian and me.
I nearly laughed. All I’ve done is put you two in danger. In fact, it would probably be better if you’d never met me.
That is not true. His words held such conviction and his eyes locked with mine. Killian and I were going through the motions. We’ve both been floundering since the loss of our families, then you came along and gave us purpose. He views you as a sister, and you’re the love of my life…my soulmate. You’ve made him happier than he’s been in years, and I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. Without you, I’d never become the man my father envisioned. And now, not only do I want to become that, but I want to be even more for you.
But… I still couldn’t get past everything they’d gone through.
No buts. He kissed me firmly. You are stuck with us—especially me—and we have your back. The same way you have ours.
His warm lips ignited something inside of me—a deep, aching need. He was the light in the dark. My life vest in the raging sea. He was my happiness when I almost lost hope.
My sweet scent of arousal floated around us, and a deep growl emanated from his chest.
"You’re injured and upset," he said, but his fingers dug into my arm. "Now isn’t the time."
"But I need you." I wrapped my arms around his neck, ignoring the pain in my shoulder. This moment was so much more important. "I love you and want to show you how much," I breathed, pushing every ounce of my affection toward him. I didn’t want him to doubt my words.
He responded to my kiss, slipping his tongue into my mouth. I love you too.
In this moment, there was no doubt about how we felt for each other. He slowly set me on my feet and turned his head, kissing me deeper. His scruff brushed my face, making my body warm even more.
Grabbing the hem of his shirt, which I was still wearing, he stepped back and slowly removed it from my body, paying close attention to my injury. I stood before him, naked now, and my hands rubbed over his bare chest, down toward his jeans. With shaky hands, I unbuttoned them and pushed down his pants and underwear.
Hold on. He released me and yanked his jeans down his legs. The wet material clung to him, and he leaned against the wall, prying them from his body.
For the first time, he didn’t look like the confident alpha I’d always known…but all that did was turn me on more. Finally, he pulled free of his pants and threw them outside the glass shower door. Okay, maybe that was worth it to see that smile.
One hand caressed my breast as he backed me into the now warm spray. With his other hand, he grabbed a bar of soap and twisted it into a lather. He placed the bar down and gently cleaned my injured arm. The white froth turned pink, and I washed the soap off.
Him caring for me made my heart beat funny, and not able to wait any longer, I jumped up and wrapped my legs around his waist, primed and ready.
"Let me take care of you," he rasped, as he pressed my back to the tile wall. "You need to make sure not to reinjure your arm."
He entered me slowly, making my mind grow fuzzy. I leaned my head against the wall, closing my eyes, enjoying how he overwhelmed my senses.
As he slipped into me, his teeth nicked the sensitive area of my throat where my mate bond mark was located, driving my wolf to howl in pleasure. He nipped and sucked all the way down to my breast.
I bucked against him, making him groan in pleasure.
The two of us moved as one, completely in sync. He sped up his pace as the friction increased between the two of us. I threw my head back, panting as his teeth nipped my breast.
Our feelings intermingled, and I wasn’t sure where he began and I ended, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. We climaxed together, our pleasure merging and exploding between us.
We stayed still for a moment, lost in each other, when we heard a pounding on the door. Killian’s grave voice said, "Get your asses out here right now ."
My heart dropped. There was no telling what we had to face once we left this room.